98 DIFFERENT MODES OF FISHING THE HERRING. 



appear, but after a storm tliey generally expect an abun- 

 dant fishing. This fishery has been long frequented by 

 the Dutch and French. The Dutch generally cure them 

 for immediate use, or for the purpose of being smoked, 

 but the French generally cure them as white herrings. 

 The Dutch have their usual fishing-busses suited for that 

 fishery, being flat-bottomed ; and the French have some- 

 times vessels as large as 70 tons measurement. 



3. HASTINGS FISHERY. 



Hastings Metliod. — They commence fishing herrings 

 off Hastings in November : each boat has from forty-six 

 to sixty nets, 30 yards in length, and 27 feet in depth ; 

 and here the fishermen are careful to shoot their nets 

 north and south, or across the tide, which runs east and 

 west, so that they may drift with the ebbing and flowing 

 of the tide. When there is little or no wind, the nets 

 are allowed to sink within a yard or less of the bottom, 

 but they generally place them near the surface when 

 there is a good breeze. It is observed here by the fisher- 

 men, that if the wind prevails for some time from the 

 north-west, this being off the land, and the water of 

 course smooth, the fishing is generally successful; but 

 if a south or south-east wind prevails for some time, 

 the fishermen are often unsuccessful, and they consider 

 that the herrings in that case proceed to the opposite 

 coast. 



4. IRISH COAST FISHING. 



Irish Methods. — The modes of fishing on the coasts 

 of Ireland are various, and some of them remarkable ; the 



